Territorial Air Force Mustang Pilots

[Dave Homewood]

Does anyone know of ex-RNZAF or ex-TAF Mustang pilots still around today? I know forum member Bryan Gault flew Mustangs, but are there any others still around?

Is Ray Archibald still alive?

[skyhawkdon]

There was a GSH at Airmovements at Ohakea called Terry (I can't remember his last name but I think it started with M and was a Maori name?). He is now retired and lives in Picton - I ran into him in Christchurch recently. He used to fly Mustangs in the TAF in his younger days and was a top dresser pilot for most of his working life. When he joined up as a GSH in the late 1980s he had more hours in his log book than any current serving RNZAF pilot!

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Don.

Additionally, anyone who worked on them as groundcrew would be interesting to talk to too.

I'd prefer if they were in this part of the country. I'm thinking about perhaps intervieweing a few for a film if any are around this area.

[sniff]

Air Marshal David Crooks; he flew them out of Taieri (sp?) - was it 4 Sqn or an FTS, I am not sure. He was RNZAF, but flying with a predominantly TAF unit, if I remember the conversation correctly back in about 1980.

He was at the Air Force Birthday a couple of weeks ago, still as sprightly as ever.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for that Sniff. I had wondered whether regular RNZAF staff were posted to the TAF units postwar, like they had been prewar. I guess you answered that query.

[alanw]

Hi all

Slightly off topic (sorry Dave), the TAF units, I know they started flying the P 51D's @ 1952.

As I understand it, the TAF units were more day to day operations
as opposed to their equivalents of today (territorial/reserves who generally do weekends and fortnightly periods during the year).
(please correct me if I'm wrong)

My reason for asking is I have a 1/32 scale P 51D on order and have got the markings for No 1 (Auckland) Squadron TAF, hoping to build later this year. I like to learn a little about the planes/squadrons who flew them.

Thanks

Alan

[avenger]

42 Squadron was the last unit to fly the Mustang, Alistair McLeod flew the last out of OH to WB, he lives at Christchurch.
Ralph Williams who lives N of AKL assisted with the pre flight preparation.
The TAF squadrons apparently had a regular officer as Adj, there are certainly several of these folk around and some still active in the aviation world.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks avenger. Interesting information.

Alan, I missed your earlier post somehow. I'm not sure how regular the units were, I thought they were weekend pilots with some regular and some irregular RNZAF groundstaff attached? That's how the Territorial Air Force 1937-39 ran prewar anyway.

However I've read No. 6 Squadron was a regular unit with a significant number of Territorials who contributed on weekends and days off, etc.

I'd like to track down a few veterans of the Mustang squadrons and perhaps interview them for a magazine article if possible.

[tbf25o4]

Dave,

my understanding is that while the TAF units were manned by "Weekend Warriors" there was a cadre of regular force personnel overseeing the units. That is certainly the case of David Crooks who was posted to Taieri as "Adjutant for No.4 TAF Squadron"
The problem of getting regular force ground staff to service the TAF aircraft during the weekend and then get all the snags rectified during the week for the next weekend was one of the reasons for the demise of the TAF.
No.6 Squadron was the only one that had sufficient crews and support to fly regular exercises towards the end of the TAF era.

Paul

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Paul. Sounds much like the way they ran it prewar, a couple of the regular RNZAF guys I've talked to who were posted to the Wellington Territorial Squadron said they never had many days off as they worked all week and then had to be there on weekends to train up the Terris. It must have been hard on them at times. Mind you, how hard they worked during the week is another matter.

[avenger]

I do have more names, but while already nominating two names earlier am slightly reluctant to reveal more, in today's PC world, any thoughts pse?

[Dave Homewood]

I'll send you a Private Message, please check your inbox in a minute

[glycol]

I was regular Air Force and worked in 2 TAF both as an engine mechanic and as an engine fitter. I was also initially posted to 42 Sqdn to look after the Mustangs. While we did work weekends we were given two week days off in lieu. In those days there was no centralised servicing and the Squadron carried out all the work. Russell Moller, from New Plymouth was one pilot I recall. The Sqdn Commander was Sqd Ldr McCabe, RSA secretary at the time.
Flt.Ltd Glowacki was a regular pilot that also instructed in gunnery that frequently flew.
2 TAF also had a couple of Harvards that were often used by regular pilots.
On 42 Sqdn, the main pilot was Graham Brown, the last Sgt. pilot. Alistair McLeod,later the Chief Pilot for Mt. Cook was another. I think Roger Dalziell was as well.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Glycol. Interesting info. I shall probably be in touch with you soon.

[Dave Homewood]

I was just wondering something, and this applies to the TAF pilots before the war too (perhaps moreso in relevance) but if you were a Territorial Air Force pilot and your day job was airline pilot or some other commercial aviation pilot, did you require having two seperate flying logbooks - one military and one civil flying? If they did it that way with two books, how did they keep the written tally of total hours flown?

If they used just the one logbook were the two types of flying denoted with different colured pen or something?

[yak2]

Aircraft type column would be an indicator. No need for 2 log books.

[avenger]

RE Reply # 12, Roger Dalziell not a Mustang pilot, he arrived too late on 42 Sqn, he did fly the Grumman Avenger though until its retirement, understand he was fired on by all three services.

[sniff]

Summarised monthly, or should be, then merge the two in a spreadsheet.
You cant correlate Military logging with Civvy, too many variables.
Other than hours flown.